Ahaz Succeeds Jotham in Judah

1aAhaz° [was] twenty° years° old° when he became° king°, and he reigned° sixteen°° years° in Jerusalem°; and bhe did not do° right° in the sight° of the LORD° as David° his father° [had done].
2aBut he walked° in the ways° of the kings° of Israel°; he also°bmade° molten° images° for the Baals°.
3 Moreover, ahe burned° incense° in the valley° of Ben-hinnom°° and bburned° his sons° in fire°, caccording to the abominations° of the nations° whom° the LORD° had driven° out before°° the sons° of Israel°.
4 He sacrificed° and aburned° incense° on the high° places°, on the hills° and under° every° green° tree°.

Judah Is Invaded

5 ¶ Wherefore, athe LORD° his God° delivered° him into the hand° of the king° of Aram°; and they Idefeated° him and carried° away from him a great° number of captives° and brought° [them] to Damascus°. And he was also° delivered° into the hand° of the king° of Israel°, who IIinflicted° him with heavy° casualties°.
6 For aPekah° the son° of Remaliah° slew° in Judah° 120,000°°° in one° day°, all° valiant° men°, because they had forsaken° the LORD° God° of their fathers°.
7 And Zichri°, a mighty° man° of Ephraim°, slew° Maaseiah° the king’s° son° and Azrikam° the ruler° of the house° and Elkanah° the second° to the king°.

[5] ILit smoteIILit smote him with a great smitinga2K 16:5; 2Ch 24:24; Is 7:1[6] a2K 16:5

8 ¶ aThe sons° of Israel° carried° away captive° of btheir brethren° 200,000°° women°, sons° and daughters°; and they Itook° also° a great° deal° of spoil° from them, and brought° the spoil° to Samaria°.
9 But a prophet° of the LORD° was there°, whose name° [was] Oded°; and ahe went° out to meet° the army° which came° to Samaria° and said° to them, “Behold°, because the LORD°, the God° of your fathers°, bwas angry° with Judah°, He has delivered° them into your hand°, and you have slain° them in a rage°c[which] has even° reached° heaven°.
10 Now° you are proposing° to asubjugate° for yourselves the people° of Judah° and Jerusalem° for male° and female° slaves°°. Surely°, [do] you not [have] transgressions° of your own° against the LORD° your God°?
11 Now° therefore, listen° to me and return° the captives°awhom° you captured° from your brothers°, bfor the burning° anger° of the LORD° is against° you.”
12 Then some° of the heads° of the sons° of Ephraim°Azariah° the son° of Johanan°, Berechiah° the son° of Meshillemoth°, Jehizkiah° the son° of Shallum°, and Amasa° the son° of Hadlai°arose° against° those who were coming° from the battle°,
13 and said° to them, “You must not bring° the captives° in here°, for you are proposing° [to bring] upon us guilt° against the LORD° adding° to our sins° and our guilt°; for our guilt° is great° so that [His] burning° anger° is against° Israel°.”
14 So the armed° men left° the captives° and the spoil° before° the officers° and all° the assembly°.
15 Then athe men° who° were designated° by name° arose°, took° the captives°, and they clothed° all° their naked° ones° from the spoil°; and they gave° them clothes° and sandals°, fed° them and bgave° them drink°, anointed° them [with oil], led° all° their feeble° ones on donkeys°, and brought° them to Jericho°, cthe city° of palm° trees°, to their brothers°; then they returned° to Samaria°.

Compromise with Assyria

16 ¶ aAt that time° King° Ahaz° sent° to the Ikings° of Assyria° for help°.
17aFor again° the Edomites° had come° and attacked° Judah° and carried° away captives°.
18aThe Philistines° also had invaded° the cities° of the Ilowland° and of the Negev° of Judah°, and had taken° Beth-shemesh°, Aijalon°, Gederoth°, and Soco° with its villages°, Timnah° with its villages°, and Gimzo° with its villages°, and they settled° there°.
19 For the LORD° humbled° Judah° because° of Ahaz° king° of aIsrael°, for he had brought° about a lack° of restraint° in Judah° and was very° unfaithful° to the LORD°.
20 So aTilgath-pilneser° king° of Assyria° came° against° him and afflicted° him instead° of strengthening° him.
21aAlthough° Ahaz° took° a portion° out of the house° of the LORD° and out of the palace° of the king° and of the princes°, and gave° [it] to the king° of Assyria°, it did not help° him.

22 ¶ Now in the time° of his distress° this° same° King° Ahaz°abecame° yet° more° unfaithful° to the LORD°.
23aFor he sacrificed° to the gods° of Damascus° which had Idefeated° him, and said°, “bBecause° the gods° of the kings° of Aram° helped° them, I will sacrifice° to them that they may help° me.” But they became° the IIdownfall° of him and all° Israel°.
24 Moreover, when Ahaz° gathered° together the utensils° of the house° of God°, he acut° the utensils° of the house° of God° in pieces°; and he bclosed° the doors° of the house° of the LORD° and cmade° altars° for himself in every° corner° of Jerusalem°.
25 In every° city° of Judah° he made° high° places° to burn° incense° to other° gods°, and provoked° the LORD°, the God° of his fathers°, to anger°.
26aNow the rest° of his acts° and all° his ways°, from first° to last°, behold°, they are written° in the Book° of the Kings° of Judah° and Israel°.
27aSo Ahaz° slept° with his fathers°, and they buried° him in the city°, in Jerusalem°, for they did not bring° him into the tombs° of the kings° of bIsrael°; and Hezekiah° his son° reigned° in his place°.

Ahaz reigning very wickedly is greatly afflicted by the Syrians.

1 ¶ Ahazº [was] twentyº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª sixteenºº yearsº in Jerusalem:º but he didºª not² [that which was] rightº in the sightº of the LORD,º like Davidº his father:º2 For he walked² in¹ª the waysº of the kingsº of Israel,º and madeºª also² molten imagesº for Baalim.º3 Moreover he² burnt incenseºª in the valleyº of the sonº of Hinnom,º and burntºª² his childrenº in the fire,º after the abominationsº of the heathenº whom² the LORDº had cast outºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º4 He sacrificedºª also and burnt incenseºª in the high places,º and on² the hills,º and under² every² greenº tree.º5 Wherefore the LORDº his Godº deliveredºª him into the handº of the kingº of Syria;º and they smoteºª him, and carried awayºª a great² multitude¹ of² them captives,º and broughtºª [them] to Damascus.º And he was also² deliveredºª into the handº of the kingº of Israel,º who smoteºª him with a greatº slaughter.º

Judah being captivated by the Israelites is sent home by the counsel of Obed the prophet.

6 ¶ For Pekahº the sonº of Remaliahº slewºª in Judahº an hundredº and twentyº thousandº in oneº day,º [which were] all² valiant¹ men;º² because they had forsakenºª² the LORDº Godº of their fathers.º7 And Zichri,º a mighty manº of Ephraim,º slewºª² Maaseiahº the king'sº son,º and Azrikamº the governorº of the house,º and Elkanahº [that was] nextº to the king.º8 And the childrenº of Israelº carried away captiveºª of their brethrenº² two hundredº thousand,º women,º sons,º and daughters,º and took also awayºª² muchº spoilº from² them, and broughtºª² the spoilº to Samaria.º9 But a prophetº of the LORDº was² there,² whose nameº [was] Oded:º and he went outºª beforeº the hostº that cameºª to Samaria,º and saidºª unto them, Behold,² because the LORDº Godº of your fathersº was wrothº with² Judah,º he hath deliveredºª them into your hand,º and ye have slainºª them in a rageº [that] reacheth upºª unto² heaven.º10 And now² ye² purposeºª to keep underºª the childrenº of Judahº and Jerusalemº for bondmenº and bondwomenº unto you: [but are there] not² with² you, evenº with you,² sinsº against the LORDº your God?º11 Now² hearºª me therefore, and deliverºª the captivesº again, which² ye have taken captiveºª of your brethren:º² for² the fierceº wrathº of the LORDº [is] upon² you. 12 Then certain¹² of the headsº² of the childrenº of Ephraim,º Azariahº the sonº of Johanan,º Berechiahº the sonº of Meshillemoth,º and Jehizkiahº the sonº of Shallum,º and Amasaº the sonº of Hadlai,º stood upºª against² them that cameºª from² the war,º13 And saidºª unto them, Ye shall not² bring inºª² the captivesº hither:² for whereas² we have offended¹ against²² the LORDº [already], ye² intendºª to addºª [more] to² our sinsº and to² our trespass:º for² our trespassº is great,º and [there is] fierceº wrathº against² Israel.º14 So the armed menºª leftºª² the captivesº and the spoilº beforeº the princesº and all² the congregation.º15 And the men¹² which² were expressedºª by nameº rose up,ºª and tookºª the captives,º and with² the spoilº clothedºª all² that were nakedº among them, and arrayedºª them, and shodºª them, and gave them to eatºª and to drink,ºª and anointedºª them, and carriedºª all² the feebleºª of them upon asses,º and broughtºª them to Jericho,º the city¹ of palm trees,º¹ª toº their brethren:º then they returnedºª to Samaria.º

Ahaz sending for aid to Assyria is not helped thereby.

16 ¶ At that² timeº did kingº Ahazº sendºª unto² the kingsº of Assyriaº to helpºª him. 17 For again² the Edomitesº had comeºª and smittenºª Judah,º and carried awayºª captives.º18 The Philistinesº also had invadedºª the citiesº of the low country,º and of the southº of Judah,º and had takenºª² Bethshemesh,º and Ajalon,º and Gederoth,º and Shochoº with the villagesº thereof, and Timnahº with the villagesº thereof, Gimzoº also and the villagesº thereof: and they dweltºª there.²19 For² the LORDº broughtºª² Judahº low¹ª because of² Ahazº kingº of Israel;º for² he made¹ª Judah¹ naked,ºª² and transgressedºª soreº against the LORD.º20 And Tilgathpilneserº kingº of Assyriaº cameºª unto² him, and distressedºª him, but strengthenedºª him not.²21 For² Ahazº took away a portionºª [out] of² the houseº of the LORD,º and [out] of the houseº of the king,º and of the princes,º and gaveºª [it] unto the kingº of Assyria:º but he helpedº him not.²

In his distress he groweth more idolatrous.

22 ¶ And in the timeº of his distressºª did he trespassºª yet moreºª against the LORD:º this² [is that] kingº Ahaz.º23 For he sacrificedºª unto the godsº of Damascus,º which smoteºª him: and he said,ºª Because² the godsº of the kingsº of Syriaº helpºª them, [therefore] will I sacrificeºª to them, that they may helpºª me. But they² were² the ruinºª of him, and of all² Israel.º24 And Ahazº gathered togetherºª² the vesselsº of the houseº of God,º and cut in piecesºª² the vesselsº of the houseº of God,º and shut upºª² the doorsº of the houseº of the LORD,º and he madeºª him altarsº in every² cornerº of Jerusalem.º25 And in every² several cityº of Judahº he madeºª high placesº to burn incenseºª unto otherº gods,º and provoked to angerºª² the LORDº Godº of his fathers.º

He dying, Hezekiah succeedeth him.

26 ¶ Now the restº of his actsº and of all² his ways,º firstº and last,º behold,² they [are] writtenºª in² the bookº of the kingsº of Judahº and Israel.º27 And Ahazº sleptºª with² his fathers,º and they buriedºª him in the city,º [even] in Jerusalem:º but² they broughtºª him not² into the sepulchresº of the kingsº of Israel:º and Hezekiahº his sonº reignedºª in his stead.²